Website Additions

[Kate Mary]

So Enid brought the ship knocker from Elfin Cottage to Old Thatch, is it still there or did she take it to Green Hedges I wonder?

[Anita Bensoussane]

We have a poem from Enid Blyton inviting her readers to Old Thatch, though I must admit it doesn't scan very readily. I wonder how many youngsters took up the invitation?!

There's a charming photo of Enid looking rather like a cross between Maria from The Sound of Music and St. Francis of Assisi, accompanied by Bobs, Thomas and Jackie Daw the Second.

Enid now has a whole page in Teachers World, which means Bobs has the space to write letters of his own. How excited he must have been. No doubt the new venture helped take his mind off his injured eye!


https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/bly ... &perid=549" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Courtenay]

Aha, so Bobs' letter-writing career has begun at last! I hope he didn't get sick from all those chocolates, though... I know we've discussed it before, but chocolate really is not good for dogs at all. Enid's poem is lovely, too — unusual rhythm scheme for her, but it works well.

There's a charming photo of Enid looking rather like a cross between Maria from The Sound of Music and St. Francis of Assisi...

That's a very good way of putting it!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Enid Blyton is getting to know the birds and animals at/near her new home, including a brown cart-horse about whom she's written an enjoyable poem. The Greek myth of Arachne is deftly woven ( ) but the true story of the Boy Scout rather dampens the spirits.

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[Kate Mary]

I loved the story of the encounter with the old brown cart horse and the poem about him. He must be either Captain or Darling but we'll find out later on. The Spider Maiden story was good but the report about the Boy Scout seems a odd thing for Enid to include on her page.

[Anita Bensoussane]

We have a poem with a Pug Pups theme this time ('The Out-of-Work Fairy') and Enid's sighting of a Death's-Head Hawk Moth:

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/bly ... &perid=595" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Anita Bensoussane]

I love it when Enid shares photos with us, and this week she and Bobs are by the gate of the field where the old brown horse lives. I recall that field in Coldmoorholme Lane from my visits to Old Thatch when it was open to the public.

It would be quite something to see Enid reaching into the river from a boat and pulling out fish with her hands, only for Bobs to get over-excited and cause chaos!

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/bly ... &perid=596" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kate Mary]

I love those grainy old photos too and Bobs' letters, "I fell in the river the other day, out of a boat. The water was very wet indeed, much wetter than usual." Classic!

[Courtenay]

Yes, I loved the "much wetter than usual" line too! Good old Bobs. It'll be interesting to see how his literary career develops from its earliest stages!!

I'm also eagerly waiting to see what's included in the newly published collection of his letters, Bones and Biscuits, which I've ordered as a birthday present for my sister. I may end up having to get a copy for myself as well!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Enid Blyton makes autumn sound bright and cosy yet just a little mournful with her mentions of brilliant leaves, Michaelmas daisies, companionable wood fires, ripe apples and pears falling from the trees, and migrating swallows. Her 'Apple Song' is fun and jolly, and I love the following remark from Bobs: "My mistress says all the swallows will soon be gone. But I say that if only she will give me a nice biscuit, I will soon show her a fine big swallow!" Good old Bobs - he really is quite a wag!

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/bly ... &perid=612" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers, Tony, for adding these letters to the Cave. They're real gems.

[Kate Mary]

Another letter added to the Cave, thank you Tony. I did wonder if it wasn't the same toad that Enid found in different places but lots of different toads!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Like Enid Blyton, I enjoy misty autumn mornings with spiders' webs hung with dewdrops. Her poem 'The Spider's Web' is sweet and whimsical. Bobs is more interested in bunnies!

Few mistakes creep into the letters, but this week we have "Pup Pups" instead of "Pug Pups".

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/bly ... &perid=614" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Courtenay]

Good old Bobs. The new collection of his letters is on its way to my sister in Australia for her birthday as I write! It's a lovely little book with gorgeous illustrations — I'd recommend it to all Blyton fans.

[Kate Mary]

And good old Tony. I see he has recently added the columns for the next couple of weeks, so I can get my fix of Enid's and Bobs' letters. I looked for Bobs' new book in Smith's yesterday, no luck, so I've ordered a copy online. Thank you for adding the letters and the 'From My Window' columns Tony.

[Anita Bensoussane]

An interesting and varied page this week. We have a (rather twee) poem called 'Who Can it Be?', a photo of chimps having a tea-party at London Zoo, the unexpected addition of a "Nun Pigeon" to Enid's flock and a mention of some Pug Pups in South Africa (Enid encourages readers to find Cape Town on a map). As for Bobs, I was amused to learn that a boy named Hubert Poole had written in to say that Bobs' letters "would make a cat laugh"!

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